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Forum:Really unhappy with front page ads
While working on site design today, I had to check the front page in other browsers and was assaulted with ads, top banner and side banner. Since I normally run with script blocking on, I wasn't aware of just how intrusive and inappropriate they were. I did have to report one ad for weightloss to Wikia that was rather eye-bleach worthy. I would really, really like to move the whole wiki to an ad-free host. I don't care how much work it would take - I'll do it. Is anyone else as fed up as I am? Is moving the wiki a real possibility? (Aside, I don't block Project Wonderful ads. Never had an issue with those.) -- m 22:46, 24 May 2009 (UTC) :There are lots of ads? I never noticed--but I run mine on firefox. The only banner I see is across the top on the front page--but I have noticed that it has bogged down how "well" the page loads sometime if it has lots of fancy text movements.--Axisor 22:51, 24 May 2009 (UTC) ::Yes, while you're logged in, the only ads you should see are the 1 (or 2) ads on the main page. You can easily see how the site looks for logged out users by turning on "Show all advertisements" in the skin tab in . This was put in for admins to be able to see how the site looks to logged out users, without keep having to log in/out. --Uberfuzzy 23:01, 24 May 2009 (UTC) :::I'm sorry that you are frustrated with the ads, m, and of course it's your right to seek another wiki host, and take a copy of the freely-licensed content here with you. However, I hope that you understand that we are trying to find a way to build a sustainable business in free wiki hosting. Without those ads, we would be unable to provide multiple data centers, which give you both speedy servers wherever you are in the world, and reliable backups in case of disaster. We would be unable to offer free 24-hour customer support staff who love wikis, which would make it a lot harder for young wikis to learn the ropes and get their projects off the ground. We'd be unable to keep our MediaWiki software constantly up to date with the latest features and bugfixes, and we wouldn't be able to install fun on request. Wikia also offers excellent page rank in search engines and numerous automated fighting tools that you might not be aware of. :::We understand that ads aren't anyone's favorite subject, and that sometimes what is displayed isn't appropriate for certain communities -- that's why we provide instructions at on how to report advertisements that you'd like removed, and why we continue to work to attract high-quality, classy advertisers that are well-matched to the interests of our users, but that's an ongoing process that takes time. I hope that you will have patience with us in this difficult economy, and enjoy working on this wiki while you consider the alternatives. Thank you! — Catherine (talk) 23:37, 24 May 2009 (UTC) ::::Thank you, Uberfuzzy and Catherine, for such a speedy response. I really do appreciate your attention to these types of issues. My problem with the ads is that even the ones I saw from the nationally known companies were distracting and out of place. While I understand the need to run Wikia as a business, I am of the camp that would really prefer to pay money to Wikia directly. I also understand that you've looked into these options and found them unsuitable, for whatever reason. I won't rehash the arguments you've heard from countless others -- I know this was endlessly debated before the new ad structure went into place and I understand this decision is very unlikely to change. ::::It may be that this wiki is more suited to an ad-free host, but that's unfortunately not my call. I came in after this place was started. (If it were my IP, I would have very strong objections to one of my characters being used to endorse products I haven't approved or tested.) However, I have had potential editors tell me they would only help if the wiki was hosted on an ad-free site. I just wanted to gauge public opinion on the subject. ::::Other than this one issue, I really like Wikia as a company. Everyone I've talked to who works there has been extremely accomodating and gone out of their way to be helpful. So... if any meetings happen where y'all are talking about potential sources of revenue, just know there's support for other options. :) --m 01:47, 25 May 2009 (UTC) :::::We continue to explore all our options, m. We appreciate the input and definitely take opinions like your seriously, and hope to continue to provide more ways to keep our communities happy. Best wishes! :) — Catherine (talk) 22:32, 25 May 2009 (UTC)